Rejoice! Beltane’s magic is calling! The mummer’s play does not attempt the detailed imitation of reality; it is an imagistic theatre whose effect lies in holding real and unreal worlds in a precarious balance. — Antrobus We are now upon the threshold of the Great Sabbat of Beltane. This is an ancient celebration of flowering,Continue reading
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If Zeus had willed it soThat o’er the flowersOne flower should reign a queenI know, ah, well I know,The rose, the rose, that royal flower had been.— Sappho Since ancient times dating back to records from Mesopotamia, the “cradle of civilization,” the rose has been a treasured companion and central to our most enduring myths.Continue reading
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Were we like the Fays That sweetly nestle in the foxglove bell. — H. Coleridge (1796-1849) From Beltane to Midsummer, the Faery Kingdom celebrates the intense, growing delight of Spring. With the guidance of Thalia, we are exploring the relationships between the Faery realms and flowers. Although I have warned you that the faeries areContinue reading
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“…Higher in the space the fragrance of the star still disappears;near us a rose is breathing…” — Decimus Magnus Ausonius (ca. 310-395) Now is the time of the ancient Roman holiday of the Floralia, celebrated with games and theatrical presentations known as the Ludi Florales. A holiday honoring the Goddess Flora, also known as Chloris,Continue reading
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Silently a flower blooms,In silence it falls away;Yet here now, at this moment, at this place,The world of the flower, the whole ofthe world is blooming.This is the talk of the flower, the truthof the blossom:The glory of eternal life is fully shining here. — Zenkei Shibayama In honor of Maia and Flora, and allContinue reading
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